Secure Near Field Communication Server Information Handling System Support

1. A method for secure near field communication (NFC) with a server information handling system, the method comprising: storing a private key at a baseboard management controller (BMC) of the server information handling system, the private key stored in association with plural predetermined end users, the baseboard management controller performing management functions for the server information handling system including access to management configurations of the server information handling system; inputting the private key to an NFC application executing on a portable information handling system, the portable information handling system having an NFC device; applying the private key with the NFC application to generate an NFC application hash; inputting a user name and password of one of the predetermined end users to the NFC application; applying the private key with the NFC application to generate a user credential hash; communicating the NFC application hash and user credential hash with the NFC application and portable information handling system NFC device through an NFC communication to the baseboard management controller; and authorizing access by the one of the predetermined end users to interact with the server information handling system management configurations through the baseboard management controller in response to the communicating; wherein the NFC application hash authenticates the NFC application to the baseboard management controller, the baseboard management controller requiring the NFC application authentication before applying the user credential hash; and wherein the user credential hash authenticates the one of the predetermined users to the baseboard management controller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein authorizing access by the one of the plural predetermined end users in response to the communicating further comprises: applying the private key to generate a server hash with the baseboard management controller; and comparing the NFC application hash and the server hash; authorizing communication by the NFC device of the user credential hash if the NFC application hash matches the server hash; and declining communication by the NFC device of the user credential hash if the NFC application hash fails to match the server hash.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein authorizing access by the one of the predetermined end users in response to the communicating further comprises: communicating the user credential hash with the NFC device to the baseboard management controller; applying the private key with the baseboard management controller to extract the user name and password of the predetermined end user from the user credential hash; and authorizing access if the user name and password match an authorized user name and password.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein authorizing access if the user name and password match an authorized user name and password further comprises: looking up the user name and password with the BMC at an active directory security database; and authorizing access by NFC communications at an access level indicated by the active directory security database.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein authorizing access if the user name and password match an authorized user name and password further comprises: looking up the user name and password with the BMC at an LDAP security database; and authorizing access by NFC communications at an access level indicated by the LDAP security database.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein authorizing access if the user name and password match an authorized user name and password further comprises: looking up the user name and password with the BMC at a local security table; and authorizing access by NFC communications at an access level indicated by the local security table.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the private key authorizes only NFC communication at one server information handling system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein authorizing access by the predetermined end user in response to the communicating further comprises: applying the private key to decrypt the user credential hash at a microcontroller associated with an NFC device disposed proximate the baseboard management controller; sending the user name and password of the decrypted user credential hash from the microcontroller to the baseboard management controller; and determining authorization of the user name and password with the baseboard management controller.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein authorizing access by the predetermined end user in response to the communicating further comprises automatically releasing a lock engaged at the server information handling system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the lock secures a storage device to the server information handling system.

11. A server information handling system comprising: a chassis; one or more processors disposed in the chassis and operable to process information; memory disposed in the chassis and interfaced with the processors, the memory operable to store the information; one or more network devices disposed in the chassis and interfaced with the processor, the one or more network devices operable to communicate with one or more networks; a baseboard management controller (BMC) disposed in the chassis and interfaced with the one or more processors, the memory and the one or more network devices, the baseboard management controller operable to manage operation of the one or more processors; an NFC device interfaced with the baseboard management controller and operable to exchange NFC communications with an external NFC device; an encryption module, stored in the memory, interfaced with the NFC device and operable to apply a private key to restrict NFC communications to external NFC devices that have the private key, the private key associated with plural authorized end users, the encryption module requiring authentication of an application running on the external NFC device before accepting other NFC communications from the external device, the encryption module generating an NFC application hash with the private key and authenticating the external NFC devices if the external NFC devices provide the NFC application hash; and an LDAP module, stored in the memory, operable to accept a user name and password decrypted by the encryption module from an NFC communication encrypted with the private key, and to apply the user name and password to a security database that defines an access level associated with the user name, the access level defining plural access levels, at least one of the access levels restricting at least some BMC functions available to an end user, the LDAP module requiring authentication of the user name and password before providing BMC functions to the end user.

12. The server information handling system of claim 11 wherein the encryption module comprises firmware instructions stored in flash memory of the baseboard management controller.

13. The server information handling system of claim 11 further comprising a microcontroller disposed between the NFC device and the baseboard management controller, wherein the encryption module comprises firmware instructions stored in flash memory of the baseboard management controller.

14. The server information handling system of claim 11 further comprising a chassis lock interfaced with the microcontroller, the microcontroller operable to unlock the chassis lock if the user name has an access level associated with access to the chassis.

15. The server information handling system of claim 11 further comprising a memory lock interfaced with the microcontroller, the microcontroller operable to unlock the memory lock if the user name has an access level associated with access to the memory.

16. A security system for providing secure access to a server information handling system with NFC communication, the security system comprising: a security database storing plural user names, each user name having a password and one or more access privileges; a baseboard management controller (BMC) integrated with the server information handling system and operable to manage operations of the server information handling system including configuration of the server information handling system to respond to client information handling systems through a network; an NFC device integrated with the server information handling system and interfaced with the baseboard management controller, the NFC device operable to provide NFC communications to the baseboard management controller; and an NFC application stored in memory of a portable information handling system and operable to apply a private key to create an NFC application hash and a user credential hash, the NFC application hash authenticating the NFC application for use by selected one of the plural user names; wherein the baseboard management controller accepts NFC communications only from NFC applications authenticated by the NFC application hash at the server information handling system and provides NFC applications access at a privilege level retrieved from the security database based upon a user name and password provided from the NFC application and encrypted by the private key.

17. The security system of claim 16 wherein the private key only provides access by NFC communications.

18. The security system of claim 16 further comprising a microcontroller disposed between the NFC device and the baseboard management controller, the microcontroller operable to buffer information communicated between the baseboard management controller and the NFC device.

19. The security system of claim 18 further comprising a lock interfaced with the microcontroller, the lock restricting physical access to the server information handling system, the microcontroller operable to unlock the lock if the user name has a privilege level for physical access to the server information handling system.